Buffer mechanism for adapter rail



Jan. 11, 1966 KOSSAN ETAL 3,228,192

BUFFER MECHANISM FOR ADAPTER RAIL Original Filed March 26, 1963 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Robe/f Kosscm, Rober/ E. Car/berg Lou/s hfWeber, Richard H Allen, Palmer 6. Wermager, John L. Smear/bl;

and Ber/ram J. Ma/son BY ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 R. 1.. KOSSAN ETAL 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 26, 1963 R. L. KOSSAN ET AL BUFFERMECHANISM FOR ADAPTER RAIL Jan. 11, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original FiledMarch 26, 1963 Q GP Jan. 11, 1966 R. L. KOSSAN ETAL BUFFER MECHANISM FORADAPTER RAIL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed March 26, 1965 1 Claim.(31. 60-51 This application is a division of copending U.S. applicationSerial No. 268,496, filed March 26, 1963, by the present applicants.

This invention relates to missile launchers and more particularly to abuffer system, acting as an energy absorber for use in such launchers.

Heretofore, in the field of missile launchers, it has generally beenfound necessary to develop a different launching system for eachdilferent size or type of missile according to the particular needs ofeach missile. Variation in size of missiles has been a particularlyperplexing problem because it requires not only the development of ,anew system but also the redesign of each individual component within thesystem. That is to say, when a new type of missile is developed, alaunching system can be designed and constructed by using the existingcomponents of another launching system for a different missile which isof the same or similar configuration and size. However, when a missileis developed which is not only of a different type 'but also of adiiferent size and configuration, the existing components, e.g.,magazine and launcher, cannot be used. Thus, it becomes necessary todevelop a new system with new components for this last-mentionedmissile.

In addition to the difference in physical requirements, the newlydesigned missile may have other characteristics that are different fromthose of the original missile. For example, the new missile may requirea longer length of travel before it can sustain stable free flight. Thatis, the rails on the launcher arm may provide a given length of guidedtravel which was adequate to permit the original missile to sustainstable free flight, but that length of guided travel would not besuflicient to allow the new missile to attain free flight in a stablemanner. Since the launcher arm does not have adequately long rails, itcould not -be used for the new missile even if the physicalconfiguration of the new missile were identical with the originalmissile, i.e. the missile for which the system, and thus the launcherarm, was designed.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a meansfor adapting a missile of a given size and type for use in a launchingsystem which was intended for launching a missile of a different typeand size.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a buffer assemblyin the form of a cylinder and piston which will act as an energyabsorber in a missile launching system.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bufferassembly having a spring biased piston operating in a cylinder, and toprovide valve means for controlling the action of the piston so that themovement of the piston will act as an energy absorber in a missilelaunching system.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following 3,228,192 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a diametric view of the rear portion of the adapter rail witha secured missile;

FIG. 2 is a diametric view of the aft snubber in its open position;

FIG. 3 is a diametric view of a mechanical schematic of the rear portionof the adapter rail;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken through the rear portion of therail and showing the butter system;

FIG. 5 is .a hydraulic schematic of the buffer system;

FIG. 6 is a detailed schematic of the pressure relief valve in thebuffer system.

Referring now to the detail-s of the drawings, the figures show a bufferassembly connected in a missile launching system which by virtue of thepresent invention is capable of handling and launching three differenttypes of missiles, missile A, missile B, and missile C, which are shownon the ready service ring in FIG. 2. The missile launching system has amagazine room having a pair of ready service rings therein for storingmissiles. The ready service rings are capable of being rotated to bringthe desired missile into a position where it can be hoisted onto afeeder mechanism for transporting the missile onto the launcher arm of amissile launcher. The missiles are held in individual trays on the readyservice ring. The missile launching system was designed and constructedto accommodate a given missile A, and through the use of inserts in thetrays on the ready service ring, the system can handle a missile B,which is slightly smaller but has the same lug configuration. A muchsmaller missile, such as missile C, could not be successfully fired fromthis system. However, by using the adapter rail it is possible toutilize a system designed for one missile in the launching of anentirely dilferent missile.

The missile C is retained on the adapter rail by means of forward andaft snubbers 60 and 62 respectively, which are mounted on the beam 40.The snubbers 60 and 62 are mounted on off-center bearings so that asthey close they do not contact the missile until uniform pressure isapplied to the whole area of contact.

A pair of torsion bars shown in FIG. 1 are anchored at one end by meansof clamps 134 bolted to the aft end of the beam 40 and extended throughtorque tubes 132 to the forward snubber 60 where the bars are attached,one bar being secured to each of the arms. With the snubbers open, thetorsion bars are preloaded to a torque of approximately 55 foot poundseach. The torsion bars 130 have opposite torques preset in them, i.e.the right hand bar has a clockwise and the left hand bar has acounterclockwise torque as viewed from the rear, so that when unlatchedthe bars will rotate in a counterclockwise and clockwise direction,respectively. The torque tubes 132 are attached to the torsion bars attheir forward ends and at their aft ends are attached to the arms 64 and66 of the aft snubber 62. When the forward snubber is unlatched byaction of the arming socket, the torsion bars rotate and open theforward snubber. The torque tubes are also rotated by the action of thetorsion bars and open the aft snubber 62. FIG. 2 illustrates the rightarm of the aft snubber in open position.

At a point near the aft end, the torque tubes 132 are connected by asteel band 133 which is wound over the top of the left hand torque tubesand attached thereto and under the bottom of the right hand torque tubeand attached thereto. A second steel band 135 is attached at one end tothe left hand torque tube. The other end of the second band is pinned toan extension arm 1339 connected to a buffer 95.

The buffer 95, shown in detail in FIG. comprises a cylinder 142 having abore 156 therein. A buffer piston 158 having a reduced section or arm140 is movable in bore 156. An end cap 143 having a central bore 141seals off end of cylinder 142 and retains the piston 158 therein. Arm140 extends through and is slidable in bore 141. A compression spring144 is interposed between cap 143 and the piston 158 and urges the sameaway from the cap 143. Piston 158 and its arm 14%) have a bore 151extending from the end opposite cap 143 substantially but not completelytherethrough. An orifice 146 in arm 140 adjacent to the junction of arm148 and piston 158 connects bore 151 in arm 148 with the bore 156 incylinder 142. A rod 158 is rigidly attached to and seals off the end ofcylinder 142 opposite cap 143. A bore 182 extends substantially but notcompletely through rod 158 from the end adjacent to the cap 143. Theouter surface of rod has control grooves 148 and 152 out therein. Groove148 starts at a point adjacent to orifice 146, when the buffer piston158 is at the limit of its travel away from cap 143, and increases indepth until it merges with the edge of opening 154 which communicateswith bore 182 in rod 150. Control groove 152 starts at maximum depth atthe edge of opening 154 and decreases in depth until it merges with theoutside surface of rod 158. These control grooves 148, 152, and opening154 determine the acceleration, constant velocity, and deceleration ofthe snubber arms, as will be explained hereinafter.

Bore 182 in rod 150 is connected by means of orifice 184 to conduit 186which communicates with a pressure cut-off valve 180 shown in FIG. 6through conduits 187 and 189. Valve has a valve piston 185 having twolands 181 and 183 movable within a cylinder 19].. A compression spring194 is interposed between the piston 185 and one end of cylinder 191 andurges the piston 185 toward the other end of said cylinder. When thepiston 185 is urged to its limit of travel toward the right, as shown inFIG. 6, the space between lands 181 and 183 provides a connectionbetween conduit 187 and by-pass conduit 195 in cylinder 191. By-passconduit 195 is always in free-flow communication with conduit 188 bymeans of conduit 193 and a second bypass conduit 199 also in cylinder191. Conduit 188 is connected to an accumulator 160 by means of aclearance 200, between a protrusion 202 on piston 158 and a reducedextension 204 on cylinder 142, a second clearance 201 between theprotrusion 202 and the bore 203 in extension 204, and conduit 197. Theaccumulator is of the piston-type and is springloaded by means ofcompression spring 162. To prevent the compressible gas, e.g., air,behind the piston 161 from mixing with the hydraulic fluid in front ofit, a flexible diaphragm 164 of gas impervious material, e.g., rubber,extends over the piston face and is attached to the cylinder wall. Thediaphragm 164 moves with the piston 161. Hydraulic fluid is replaced inthe accumulator through an oil fill inlet 168 mounted on the topthereof.

When the forward snubber is unlatched by the action of the armingsocket, as previously described, the torsion bars 130 rotate the arms 68and 69 of the forward snubber 60 upward. The rotation of the torsionbars 130 causes the torque tubes 132 to rotate and open the aft snubber62. As the torque tubes rotate, steel band 135 exerts a force onextension arm 139 which causes buffer piston 158 to move toward cap 143against the bias of spring 144. As buffer piston 158 moves to the left,as shown in FIG. 5, hydraulic fluid contained in bore 156 will be forcedthrough orifice 146 and through control groove 148. Orifice 146 willmove with the buffer piston 158 toward the left and will consequently bein direct communication with a progressively deeper portion of groove148. As the depth of groove 148 increases, the resistance to flow of thehydraulic fluid decreases and the buffer piston will accelerate. As theorifice 146 passes over opening 154, the resistance to flow of hydraulicfluid will remain constant and the velocity of buffer piston 158 will beconstant also. Subsequent movement of the buffer piston will bring theorifice in direct communication with control groove 152 which decreasesin depth toward the left. The resistance to flow of hydraulic fluidwill, therefore, increase and the buffer piston 158 will decelerate.Thus, it will be apparent that the movement of the snubber arms iscontrolled through a cycle of acceleration, constant velocity, anddeceleration because of the controlled movement of the buffer piston158.

As will be apparent by referring to FIG. 5, the movement of the bufferpiston 158 will cause the hydraulic fluid to pass to the accumulator 160by flowing through Orifice 146, control grooves 148 or 152 and opening154 to bore 182 in rod 150, through orifice 184 to conduit 186, throughconduit 186 to conduit 187, between the lands 181 and 183 on valvepiston 185 to by-pass conduit 195 and 199 to conduit 193, from there toconduit 188, through clearances 201 and 200 and through conduit 197.

Once the snubbers 60 and 62 are opened, the buffer piston 158 is movedto the left, as viewed in FIG. 5 and the pump 210 is utilized to returnthe buffer piston 158 to the right and to close the snubbers. Pump 210is composed of a handle 206 pivotally mounted in such a manner as tomove pump piston 176 within cylinder 1'78. Pump piston 176 has an axialbore 178 extending from one face to and connecting with a transversebore 196. A spring-loaded check valve 174 is disposed within bore 178and permits flow of hydraulic fluid only to the right, as viewed in FIG.5.

Conduit 188 is connected to the back end of cylinder 178 and has aspring-loaded check valve 172 positioned therein and ajacent saidcylinder which permits flow into cylinder 178 only or to the right asviewed in FIG. 5. When the pump piston 176 is moved to the left, asviewed in FIG. 5, check valve 172 remains closed, and check valve 174opens allowing fluid to pass through bores 178 and 196 and into thefront portion of cylinder 170. Then as the pump piston is moved to theright check valve 172 opens allowing fluid to pass into the back ofcylinder and check valve 174 remains closed forcing fluid throughconduit 190. Thus, it will be seen that as the pump piston 176 is movedback and forth by movement of handle 2116 fluid is pumped from theaccumulator 160 through the conduit 197, around the clearances 201 and201), through conduit 188, and through conduit 190 to pressure cut-offvalve 188. Conduit 190 is connected to cylinder 191 at a point ahead ofthe first land 183 when the valve piston 185 is at its limit of travelto the right. The hydraulic fluid entering ahead of land 183 will shiftthe valve piston 185 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 6, against the biasof spring 194. When the valve piston 185 shifts to the left, theclearance ahead of the first land 183 will provide communication betweenconduit and conduit 189. Thus, fluid will be pumped from the accumulatorthrough the conduits, as previously explained, to conduit 186, throughorifice 184, through bore 182, through the opening 154, and orifice 146to the bore 156 in cylinder 142. The increase of fluid pressure in bore156 will move the buffer piston to the right against the force to thesteel band 135 and the torque of the torsion bars 138 on the torquetubes 132. Thus, the arms of the snubbers will be rotated to a closedposition. Valve piston 185 has an axial bore 214 with a spring-loaded,pressure relief valve 212 disposed therein. Valve 212 will open when thepiston 158 has returned to the right and subsequent pumping increasesthe pressure beyond the force of the spring in said valve. When valve212 opens the hydraulic fluid will be routed through bore 214, aroundvalve 212, through internal recess 215 in piston 185, through T-shapedconduit 217 in valve 212 to T- shaped conduit 219 in piston 185 and fromthere back to the pump as will be obvious from FIGS. 22 and 23.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above 6 teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within necting the interior of the cylinder with thebore of the scope of the appended claims the invention may be the rodmeans; practiced otherwise than as specifically described. a cap formingone end Wall of said cylinder and serving What is claimed is: as abearing for the smaller section of the piston; A buffer system forcontrolling the rate of movement 5 spring means biasing the piston inone direction; of an extension arm attached to a steel tape comprising:pump means for exerting pressure on the fluid for mova cylindercontaining a fluid; ing the piston within the cylinder, movement of saidan accumulator connected to one end of the cylinder piston beingcontrolled by the flow of fluid through the receiving and dischargingfluid from and to said cylorifices, the control grooves, and the bore ofthe inder; 10 rod means; rod means attached to and extending into andalong the and a pressure valve means for isolating said pumplongitudinal axis of said cylinder, said rod being means from saidcylinder when said piston is moved formed with a central bore andtapered control to spring biased position. grooves connected to saidbore; a piston formed of a smaller and a larger diameter sec- Referencescued y the Examine! tion slidably mounted on said rod means and withinUNITED STATES PATENTS said cylinder, the larger diameter section of thepiston being in contact with the cylinder Wall, the 532: smallerdiameter section being formed at its end with 2,676,462 4/1954 Berry 52an annular interiorly threaded recess receiving the eX- 20 tension arm,said piston at the juncture of the smaller EDGAR W GEOGHEGAN PrimaryExaminer and larger sections being formed with orifices con-

